Nidal Malik Hasan, the sole suspect of the shooting.

Goals

Nidal Malik Hasan, while not being directly associated with any formal terrorist organizations, is reported as having tendencies toward radical Islam. After the shooting, Hasan was discovered to have exchanged e-mails with Al Qaeda member Anwar al-Awlaki. The shooting at Fort Hood occurred under a month before his pending deployment to Afghanistan. Al-Awlaki praised the attack, citing the base's military importance to the United States.

Impact of Religion

Hasan expressed his support for Islamic extremism shortly before the shooting. His superiors reported this behavior. He has deep respect for al-Awlaki's teaching. All of these factors of fundamental Islamic faith contributed to his extreme actions.